Liquiteria claims Gray’s Papaya spot in Greenwich Village

Juice bar Liquiteria will take over the corner, at Eighth Street and Sixth Avenue in Greenwich Village, that legendary hot dog purveyor Gray’s Papaya is vacating because of a rent hike.

The beloved Upper West Side-based fast food stand shuttered its 402 Sixth Avenue location Wednesday, prompting outcry as the affordable restaurant had become a neighborhood mainstay, operating in that location for nearly 30 years.

Liquiteria currently has two locations — in the East Village and near Union Square.

The landlord for the Greenwich Village space appears to be Solil Management, the firm that controls the assets of late real estate mogul Sol Goldman, according to city records.

“They wanted to raise my rent to $50,000 from $30,000,” Gray’s Papaya owner Nicholas Gray told the Village Voice, adding that he plans to relocate as soon as he finds a suitable space. “We’re always looking for corners, but they’re hard to find.”

Liquiteria is also expanding to Fourth Avenue and East 13th Street, according to EV Grieve. [Village Voice and EV Grieve] — Angela Hunt